SBA’s Eastern Penn. 2014 Family-Owned Small Business Of Year

June 4th event introduces Community Marketing Concepts, Inc. as title holder

PHILADELPHIA – U.S. SBA Philadelphia District Director David Dickson officially introduces the Eastern Pennsylvania Family-Owned Small Business of the Year, Community Marketing Concepts, Inc., with president and CEO Linda Chandler on June 4 at 10 a.m. Media are invited to attend.

James Sanders, Director, Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) Business Center of Philadelphia

WHAT: Community Marketing Concepts introduced as SBA’s Eastern Penn. Family-Owned Small Business of the Year, media tour of business with interview and photo opportunities

WHEN: June 4 at 10 a.m.

WHERE: 7300 City Ave., Ste. 330, Philadelphia, PA 19151

“Family-owned small businesses are an American institution and this is a great opportunity to honor the accomplishment of Linda and the team at Community Marketing Concepts here in Philadelphia,” Dickson said. “Small businesses are at the very heart of the American economy. That’s why SBA and our resource partners are proud to help small business owners start, grow and succeed.”

Community Marketing Concepts (CMC) of Philadelphia was founded in 1995 by Linda Chandler, president and CEO, as a minority and women-owned family business. The marketing, public relations and communications agency focuses on connecting clients’ messages to their targeted communities via CMC’s distinctive approach to traditional engagement strategies and digital communications platforms.

“Being a business owner is highly rewarding and exceptionally challenging. SBA’s programs and partners, such as the MBDA Business Center Philadelphia, Pa operated by The Enterprise Center are extremely valuable resources to Community Marketing Concepts. Each agency has provided exceptional support,” Chandler said.

CMC’s client portfolio includes organizations in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in various disciplines including healthcare, environmental and educational entities in the government, corporate and non-profit industry sectors and has managed contracts in excess of $10 million dollars. CMC turned to MBDA, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce network office, and SBA resource partner SCORE Philadelphia for assistance with proposal writing. CMC is also an SBA 8(a) Business Development Program participant and Chandler's daughter and business partner Phoebe Coles is a graduate of the SBA Emerging Leaders Program. The firm was nominated by James Sanders, Director, Minority Business Development Agency’s (MBDA) Business Center of Philadelphia.

“The Community Marketing Concepts team is a staple in our region and they are currently in growth mode. Good companies have become great after surviving economic challenges in America. Community Marketing Concepts has the ‘right people on the bus’ as they move from ‘good to great,’” Sanders said.

SBA’s nine-year 8(a) Business Development Program helps socially and economically disadvantaged individuals develop and grow their businesses through one-on-one counseling, training workshops and management and technical guidance. The program also provides access to government contracting opportunities, allowing firms to become solid competitors in the federal marketplace.

The SBA Emerging Leaders Initiative is a federal training initiative specifically focusing on executives of businesses poised for growth in historically challenged communities. The initiative provides these executives with the organizational framework, resource network, and motivation required to build sustainable businesses and promote economic development within urban communities.

SBA mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator, Natalia Olson-Urtecho, and Philadelphia District Director, David Dickson, present the Small Business Week awards with Philadelphia’s NBC10 anchor and consumer reporter Tracy Davidson at the annual “SBA Day at the Ballpark” event on June 12. The event is open to the media.

The awards ceremony begins at 10 a.m. June 12 with a luncheon at the “XFINITY Live! Philadelphia” restaurant at 1100 Pattison Ave. (tickets available: www.ticketfly.com/event/576227) followed by a 1:05 p.m. Phillies game at nearby Citizens Bank Park (tickets available: www.phillies.com/sbaday). The event is cosponsored Constant Contact and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

SBA’s Eastern Pennsylvania Family-Owned Small Business of the Year award winner is selected annually from among nominees located across Pennsylvania’s eastern 40 counties. These events are local observances of the annual Presidentially-designated National Small Business Week. National Small Business Week recognizes the small business community’s contribution to the American economy.

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To request interviews or photos, contact Robert Goza, SBA’s Public Information Officer in the Philadelphia District Office, at 610-382-3084 or robert.goza@sba.gov.

Cosponsorship Authorization #14-0303-67. SBA’s participation in this cosponsored activity is not an endorsement of the views, opinions, products or services of any cosponsor or other person or entity. All SBA programs and services are extended to the public on a nondiscriminatory basis. Reasonable arrangements for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance. Contact: Robert Goza, 610-382-3084.